PURPOSE: To provide the device and method for character recognition which can easily and precisely determine a single recognition result even when plural positive acknowledgements are obtained as a recognition result.

CONSTITUTION: An evaluation table is generated from plural positive acknowledgements proved by simulation in an initial stage and held as a known pattern cumulation degree data base in a structural feature matching evaluation part 34. When the recognition result of a structural feature matching recognition part 32 becomes plural positive acknowledgements, the structural feature matching evaluation part 34 retrieves the known pattern cumulation degree data base to decide whether or not the recognition result is a known pattern that is already registered;, and obtains the reliability and the recognition result when the result is the known pattern. Then the recognition result is selected on the basis of the reliability and substituted. When the result is not the known pattern, on the other hand, the input pattern and recognition result are registered in the unknown pattern cumulation degree data base and the recognition result is rejected.